Sports Management (Master of Arts)

(Sportmanagement, M.A.)

General Information

Requirements for Admission:1. Requirements for admission to the Master’s degree programme (and thereby university enrolment) are a joint Bachelor’s degree in a field of study combined with sports science from the TU Darmstadt (reference study programme) or in an equivalent Bachelor’s degree in sports science, and basic skills in law and economics. The respective skills of at least 75 CP (sports science) and 20 CP (law and economics) will be examined in the course of a suitability test. If there are any doubts whether the student possesses the required skills, they will be reviewed in an oral exam of a duration of 20 minutes. If the examination of the written records indicates a skill deficit that requires more than 30 CP of coursework to compensate it, the eligibility requirements will be considered not fulfilled.2. Proof of physical fitness in the form of a medical certificate.

Special Features: Please note that you have to submit proof of basic courses (sports practice) in a special discipline before you are admitted to the respective advanced courses.

Brief Description

The interdisciplinary Master of Arts programme Sports Management acquaints the students with the contents of law and economics, psychology, and sports science (sports theory and sports practice).

The programme thus covers terminology, approaches, methods, and findings of sports science as well as law/- economics. The program enables the students to work on research or application-oriented projects in the field of sports management and to develop and work on specific research and development problems at this interface.

Semester Course Schedule (print version)

The programme is divided into the following modules that cover the sports-theoretical, sports-practical, psychological, and law and business-related contents:

Methodology and Integrated Research and Project Activity (14 CP)

Sports Theory (9 CP)

Sports Practice (6 CP)

Psychological Aspects of Person-centered Management (12 CP)

Advanced Catalogue Law and Economics (0 bis12 CP)

Focus Catalogue law and economics (28-40 CP)

Optional Area Law and Economics (0 bis 6 CP)

Internship (9 CP)

Master’s Thesis (30 CP)

The Master’s Thesis may be written in the field of law and economics or in the field of sports science. An interdisciplinary thesis is also permitted.

Advice for Prospective M.A. Students

While a Bachelor of Arts focuses mainly on the fundamentals of the field, the Master of Arts serves to upgrade the qualifications of graduates. The Master’s degree focuses more than the Bachelor’s degree on enabling and requiring students to adopt their own major focus and to work towards their own independent academic, scientific research profile.

For these reasons it is recommended that students complete a Master’s degree.

Doctoral Studies

Upon successful completion of a Master of Science degree, there is the opportunity to begin working towards a Ph.D. either at the TU Darmstadt or at another national or international university. Further information on doctoral studies at TU Darmstadt:

Career Perspectives

Graduates of the Master of Arts programme Sports Management best occupy positions that are located at the interface of the disciplines of law and economics, psychology, and sports science (sports theory and sports practice) or pertain directly to Sports Management. The graduates can find employment in, for instance, mid or high-level management positions. These are positions in the areas of, for example, project management, sponsoring consulting, product management, marketing management or in the field of sports administration (particularly in associations).

Typical employers for graduates of this degree programme are, for example, tourism companies, different agencies (e.g. marketing agencies, event agencies), the media, universities, clubs and associations (e.g. professional associations, state sports associations), sporting goods manufacturers, health and fitness companies, various industrial companies as well as the civil service (e.g. departments of sports).

For this reason it is important to start early in the degree programme to gain practical work experience in relevant organisations. In this way students can promote themselves as competent professionals in practice and make important professional contacts. The likelihood of finding a good position is definitely heightened if the student is flexible when it comes to commuting or even moving abroad. Good English language skills are particularly important when it comes to the international job market.

TU Darmstadt's offer of Job Shadowingis a quick and simple method of career orientation by accompanying professionally experienced TU Darmstadt alumni for one day.

Further information about career opportunities on the German job market may be found on the following websites: